Blindfold
by Aijou
Summary: [Onesided TxN. Onesided YxH. Yaya X Tamao.] Unrequited love's the worst kind of love. In order to cope, Tamao and Yaya look to eachother to outlet their pain through a game of pretend. But you can only play games for so long... Love polygons abound.
1. Trying on the Blindfold

**Title: **Blindfold  
**Written By: **Aijou  
**Summary: **[Onesided TxN. Onesided YxH. Yaya X Tamao. Unrequited love's the worst kind of love. In order to cope, Tamao and Yaya look to eachother to outlet their pain through a game of pretend. But you can only play games for so long... Love polygons abound.  
**Disclaimer: **Story set sometime after episode fourteen, then goes off into its own storyline. Read and see.

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_**  
As much as I loved you, it never stopped you from loving her more.**_

_I guess it's my fault. I never made a strong enough move until it was too late. Too much, way too fucking late. A kiss too harsh. I wasn't thinking. I just wanted things to turn out differently. Maybe, you'd realize that I could be anyone for you. Something more than a bestfriend. Someone...that you love for real._

_It was my fault for misreading you. Our "I love yous" meant two different things._

I kind of knew it when I first saw you talk about her. The way your eyes flashed. The way you tried your best to keep from smiling like a goofball. The nervous way that you'd occupy your hands with something. I knew, because that's the same way I get about you. Sure, I don't mess around with my hands like you do. The things that I do aren't as cute as they way you do things. A hug from behind. A compliment here and there. I cover up my true feelings with those kinds of gestures, hoping that, maybe, you'll get the hint.

_You never did. You're not one for picking up on things. I know you. I know you more than she does and yet... You go running off to her. You'll sooner go on a horse ride with her than have lunch with me. Where did things go so wrong? When did you actually like someone? I thought you weren't that type of girl and I thought wrong. I thought I could keep you from liking other people...but you can't stop love. Nothing gets in its way._

_

* * *

_

Nanto Yaya wasn't the kind of girl who acted on her feelings without being one hundred percent sure beforehand. She'd gotten hurt enough in her younger years to know to shut up when things were getting too good. When things were going well, you can't ruin a friendship by admitting your thoughts. She did it once before. Nothing good comes out of it unless you know things for sure.

She dressed Hikari up with a smile. Breathed in the scents that she'd picked out for her. Hikari smelled a beautiful mix of peach tangerine. Dressed in the perfect summer outfit, innocent dress and all, she was a pretty sight. Yaya had made sure that Hikari would look that way, even though she was dressing her up for someone else. It was nice to pretend that that outfit was meant for a date with her.

When Hikari left, Yaya laid out on her bed and closed her eyes. Beneath closed lids, she imagined her own date to the movie with Hikari. They'd walk in, holding hands. She'd buy the popcorn. No, a blueberry icee. They'd share it; one straw for the both of them. And, they'd watch a scary movie "by accident". Hikari would snuggle up close to her and, then... And, then...

_And, then, what? You kiss her? Give yourself a break. _Yaya thought with a sigh. Whose bright idea was it to make love so damn tragic? Bad enough she'd fallen for a girl. Weeks were spent trying to figure out Hikari's preferences before she gave up. Never, not even once, had she seen Hikari remotely interested in anyone except for Yaya herself. Hikari wasn't one for crowds, Yaya guessed, but further investigation proved that there weren't any crowds actually inviting her to join them. Weird. She seemed to be more into singing than meeting a bunch of people. That was alright, though, completely okay.

_So, I take her in. _At first, things were pretty innocent. They became roommates within weeks. Bestfriends within days. Singing partners in a matter of hours. Yaya would never forget the day that they met. The song of an angel, singing so far away.

This time, Hikari was the furthest away than she'd ever been. Away, with that Ootari Amane girl. The fucking Prince of Spica, the one that would ride off with the princess in the end. And where would that leave her? The best friend waving goodbye to her first true love, watching the two leave for their happy ending. Without her. There wasn't enough room in the sunset for three people, after all.

_Oh,_ she was crying. Since when did she cry? _Ever since your chances started to run out. This could be your last._

Kaname's words rang in her mind: _**the only thing that can beat love is love.**_ It sounded so retarded, but...but this could be her last chance to show Konohana Hikari who loved her the most. She'd prove to Hikari that her love was there all along. _Look at me now, Hikari. See me as someone you can be with._ _More than a best friend._

And she took a chance when Hikari came home from her movie date with Amane. She made her move. Put her hands on Hikari's shoulders and moved on in. Pushed her up against the closed door. Felt her chest. Forced her tongue into Hikari's unwilling mouth until --

**"No!!"**

But, Yaya pushed harder. She was taller, stronger, than her blonde angel. Too fragile ("didn't I tell you to be more careful?). Now, she saw how easy it was to take advantage of a girl like Hikari. Now, Yaya could understand how easy it was for Kaname. A simple shove and Hikari was crumbling.

**"Yaya-chan, no!!!"**

Too much all at once. Hikari pushed her best friend away, sending her down to the carpet. "W-why are you doing this?"

There was so much she could've said. I love you, for one. I was taking my last chance, for two. I shouldn't let you go, for three. All she could say was, "Hikari... Um, I..." Too slow and not enough. Not nearly enough words to fix everything. Everything was ruined.

"No. No. **No!**"

_I should've kept my mouth shut. Love beats love, who was I kidding? _I'm just a stupid girl who ended the best thing she ever had.

Even though they had made up days later, nothing was ever the same again. Every time Yaya approached Hikari, she'd shake. In her sleep, she'd shake. At the prospect of a handshake, she'd shake. A fucking handshake! The lunch "dates" Yaya had so desperately looked forward to during her time at Spica had ended. Their lunchtime together was replaced by Hikari spending time with Amane.

It was lonely at first, sure. Yaya could never get over it.

"It would've been nice, if the two of you had gotten together," Tamao said. Today, Tamao had joined her for lunch. A temporary replacement to a long lasting problem. With Tamao, she could at least begin to try to forget. Emphasize on the trying part. "I'm sorry for getting in your business." She busied herself with studying the floral designs on her teacup.

"Nah, don't say sorry." Yaya's eyes were far-off, distant. "I think the same thing could be same about you two."

"What? The apology?"

"No. Don't dodge it by playing dumb." She smiled gently, her eyes mildly hurt now. "I'm talking about you and Nagisa. Doesn't it hurt, seeing her play around with Etoile-sama? You can't lie to me about it. I know it has to hurt a lot, hm?" Suddenly, she didn't feel like finishing her lunch anymore. Neither did Tamao. The tea was starting to taste bad.

Tamao sighed. "You're right. I mean, to see perfect Nagisa-chan running off with her like that... It's insane!" There was a sadness in her voice that was all too familiar. "Doesn't she see that I've always been by her side? I warned her about Etoile-sama since the beginning. Didn't you hear me warn Nagisa-chan about that girl? But noooo. It's Etoile-sama that gets her, in spite of everything!"

There was a pause. A moment for things to sink in.

"That's funny. I feel the same way."

* * *

They agreed to skip the rest of the school day. It wasn't like the Sister was keeping tabs on them, seeing how each was a top student (more or less) in their respective schools. The Miator student and the Spica student met up beneath a leaning tree. Its branches reached over them, curled up at the ends like gnarled fingers ready to snatch. The leaves on the tree were sullen looking. Brown and half-dead. Autumn was a long way off, so the fact that there was a dying tree surprised the girls. 

"Love sucks," Yaya mumbled. "Look where it's gotten us. Two beautiful girls whining about the ones that got away."

"Beautiful?" The blue haired girl picked up on that word instantly.

"Sure. You're pretty. What, you don't think so? Or, are you still stuck on thinking that she's prettier than you are?"

They sat facing one another. Tamao was leaning with her back against the tree, a worried look on her face. There was something off about the way Yaya's eyes were.

"Yaya-chan, why are you getting so close?" A faint blush tinted her cheeks. "Stop joking around."

"Shh, Tamao-chan, you're ruining the moment." Yaya leaned in closer, until a pair of delicate arms held her back.

"W-what are you trying to do?" The faint blush deepened as she realized what was going on. "I don't like you like that."

"But what about Nagisa-san? How do you like her?"

"I...um...like her a lot."

"Then, close your eyes. Let me be your Nagisa." _And you, you're my Hikari-chan._ "Call me by her name. I don't care." _A game of sweet, sweet pretend._

Yaya's lips were already on Tamao's by the time their eyes were closed. She heard the other girl gasp out Nagisa's name when her hands found their way onto Tamao's chest. Slower this time, less rough. Less needy. Something a gentle, tentative girl like Nagisa would do, except she was doing all of the work. One hand lowered, pushing up the Miator's skirt. Higher and higher; slowly now, or else there'd be shaking.

She moved her mouth from Tamao's to trail kisses down her neck. "You're so pretty," Once the Miator tie was undone, the uniform opened up easily. "Hey, you're not wearing an undershirt..."

"Wait! Stop!" Tamao's eyes opened up wide, her arms blocking her chest from view. Her words came out amongst heavy breaths of air. "D-don't do that here."

"Where should I do it, then? Down here, maybe?" Yaya's hands disappeared, going their way into Tamao's skirt. The Miator girl's breath hitched. "Mmm, look at you. You're so naughty." The bluette pushed Yaya away, regaining control.

"There's no way we can do this here, okay? Um..." Her face was turning bright red. Yaya laughed, shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, and stopped completely. "No, seriously, what if someone catches us?"

"Okay, okay. I get it." She held up her hands in surrender. "I'll talk to you later, then. We'll be having tea tonight, right?"

"...Right."

"See you tonight!"

* * *

"Tamao-chan! Where were you today? I was looking for you everywhere," Nagisa's loud voice filled the dorm room. "You completely disappeared." 

"Oh, ah, um, I..."

"Yeah, Tamao, where were you?" Yaya smiled innocently.

The usual group was sitting around the low table in the center of the room. Yaya sat across from Hikari, every now and then receiving uncomfortable glances from her crush. She paid the looks no mind on the outside. On the inside, she was feeling sick. How could she have been so desperate to have her? _Keep it together, girl. _And her thoughts on the matter went away, even though she knew that she'd be thinking about it after all of this. For now, she'd be happy all over Yaya. Later, she'd be sad all over Yaya, when no one would be able to see her.

The rest of them weren't doing anything too special. Chiyo was picking lint off of her skirt. Weak like she always was, she was barely looking anyone in the eye. Tsubomi was smirking, waiting for Tamao to answer the question. Her arms were folded mischeviously. All eyes (Chiyo's too, only indirectly) were waiting on Tamao's answer.

"Oi, Yaya, you weren't in class, either!" Tsubomi piped up. Tamao sighed with relief. "Hey, you're not off the hook just yet. What're the odds that _both _of you are missing?"

"How would you know I wasn't in class? You're not even in my grade!" Yaya shot back.

"Well, you missed meeting with the Saintly Chorus. That counts for something." The pink haired girl uncrossed her arms.

Nagisa jumped in. "And, Tamao-chan didn't come back to the dorms until real late. That counts for something, too!"

"I-I-I'm sure there was a reason for Tamao-senpai being late." The squeak of Chiyo's voice was hard to hear over Tsubomi's increasingly loud accusations. Louder and louder, the pinkie's voice got, until even the pitch of things was unbearable. Tamao herself was reduced to an embarassed mess, not saying a word for fear of slipping up. Yaya was keeping her mouth shut as well, except for the hotly shot-back comment or two.

"Maybe we should just forget about it?" Hikari asked in polite rescue. "I mean, look, the tea's gotten cold..."

Sure enough, in their arguing, the tea sitting out on the table was reduced to bitter tasting water. Disgustingly lukewarm, it tasted terrible to Tamao's lips. All it provided was an excuse not to open up and talk. She knew that as soon as the words came pouring out, they probably wouldn't stop. Hoping for a better defense, she glanced over at Yaya.

"Whatever. We can always make more," Tsubomi replied. "These two have got some sort of secret they're keeping. I'm going to make sure I get to the bottom of this!"

"You're right. Whatever." Yaya's tone was set to scathing. "I'll tell you where _I_ was. It's not that big of a deal. I was shopping for something, that's all. Um, Tamao was with me, too. Now, can we get back to the tea issue?"

"Something? What the hell would something be?" Tsubomi was the type of girl who never picked up a hint, or, rather, ignored the hints until she got what she wanted. Kind of like a fly immune to all forms of a swatter.

Yaya's eyes narrowed. "Something is something. Drop it."

"Fine. But don't think I'm going to forget this!"

"Do whatever you want." _You're such a pest! Are the words "_buzz off" _in your vocab? _When it became increasingly obvious that Yaya was in no mood to discuss the issue further, the topic was dropped in favor of something more light-hearted. Something about a new teacher coming 'round. A girl from the archery club got a new boyfriend. Chikaru's brand new magical girl club (another one?). As the other girls' conversations jumped from topic to topic like sparks from metalwork, Yaya retreated to her own thoughts. The center of those thoughts? Hikari.

And the center of Tamao's thoughts? Nagisa, of course. _And what was with Yaya today? _She couldn't exactly ask Yaya to talk with her in private. No. Something like that would start the interrogation all over again. It was bad enough having to go through all of that the first time. The tell-tale blush in her face felt permanent, the embarrassment had been that bad. Oh well. At least Nagisa had noticed she'd been gone. That was always a plus.

"Well, I think I'm going to hit the hay," Said object of her affections yawned. "It's been a long day, sorry." Tamao couldn't help but smile. Nagisa sure was something.

The tea party-goers said their goodnights, except for one. Yaya, as expected, with the excuse of wanting to talk with Tamao. Tsubomi was too busy cleaning a tea stain out of her uniform to care. Nagisa, thankfully, was already asleep by the time Tamao found the words to say. The room felt almost empty, the sound of Nagisa's gentle snores providing a calm background music.

"I don't know if I can do this, Yaya," And by _this_ she meant the game they were playing. "I don't know if this'll work out."

"Why? Is it because of Tsubomi? Jeez, don't let her get to you. She's just a kid."

"No. And keep your voice down! You might wake Nagisa up!"

"You're the one shouting." Yaya pointed out. "Besides, you seemed pretty willing to do this before."

"I don't want to do this anymore. It's not right. I don't even like you like this."

Yaya sighed, moving close enough to touch Tamao with her breath alone. Tamao's back stiffened in response. "But you don't have to like me." She whispered. Taking a deep breath, she brushed her lips against Tamao's. Gentle this time. A feeling too light, it was hard to tell if it was even a kiss. Their breath mingled in the space between them. Inviting, wanting, until they pressed their lips together. On instinct, Tamao's lips parted, allowing entry for tongue. It wasn't long before their arms were wrapped around eachother, pulling one another as close as possible to deepen the kiss.

It ended when their lungs gave protest. "See? All you have to do is like her. And keep playing make-believe with me," Yaya continued. "It'll be enough for now."

Although there was a part of her that wholeheartedly disagreed with this, there was a stronger part of her who wanted to pretend. Like a kid with an imaginary friend, she'd play this little game as long as she could blind herself to the facts. Tamao gave the slightest of nods. Right now, this was exactly what she needed, almost. It was nearly as good as the real thing.

While both girls waited, they had eachother to dull their senses. With a quick, approving kiss, Yaya said goodbye, leaving Tamao alone to think. In the bed next to hers, lay Nagisa, totally oblivious and totally asleep. And totally falling for someone else, but Tamao wasn't in the mood to acknowledge that.

_**Today, I'll pretend you love me as much as you love her.**_

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**A\N: **This chapter's dedicated to the ones I've wronged by being selfish. More to come, leave a review even if it's one as short as "continue". Thanks. 


	2. Pen to Paper Beyond the Ropes

**Title: **Blindfold**  
Written By: **Aijou**  
Disclaimer: **Still don't own the series, sorry. Language warning, but you can handle it. ;)

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_**  
It was nearly as good as the real thing.**_

Emphasize on the nearly.

It kind of felt like Tamao was cheating. Cheating on a _thought_, a dream, but still cheating all the same. _I wonder if it really counts... I mean... It is a __**thought.**_ An everlasting dream involving Nagisa and she, walking down a rainy street with only an umbrella for cover. Yes. An umbrella, nothing else. Oh, yeah, and the umbrella would have a spinny heart on the top because, you know, every fantasy needs a heart in it. The kind of heart that would rotate to the tune of the muscle beating in their chests. In that kind of world, Tamao's smile would never fade. Nagisa would only have eyes for her. Nagisa would jump for joy over her. Over the moon! Into the air! And, she herself would be sailing on a cloud. Fluttering, even, like a hummingbird on acid.

"Tamao-chan!" Nagisa would say.

"Yes, my Nagisa-chan?"

"There's something you need to know."

"Yes? What is it that I need to know, my dear?"

"I love you!"

"Who?"

"You and only you!" Nagisa would proclaim to the top of her lungs. She'd pull Tamao into a close hug. "I'm all yours!"

"And I'm yours, too." Tamao sighed happily, writing all of this down into her notebook. It was the latest chapter to her story, based on real life with...embellishments. The names were different, of course, but it didn't take much to guess who the Tomie girl silently vying after her bestfriend was, or whom little naiive Nakie was, either. It was blindingly obvious. _And tragic..._ In the latest chapter, the school bitch Shina was coming onto Nakie with terrible results. As much as Tomie warned her friend about how bad Shina was, Nakie would never listen. She fell right into Shina's trap, getting right into the evil girl's clutches! It was up to Tomie to rescue Nakie from Shina before things got too far. The one problem with that, though, was rescuing someone who didn't even _want _to be rescued. That was how bad Shina had her.

It didn't have many reviews so far, admittedly. Oh well. Reviews weren't everything. _Ah, who am I kidding?_ Reviews were everything. They gave her the lame sense of actually mattering to someone, even if that someone wasn't the someone she really wanted to be noticed by. Shame, Nagisa hated using computers. She said they were too complicated. When Tamao suggested she could simply print out the story, Nagisa refused the chance to "waste paper. Besides, you know I'm illiterate!" Being illiterate never stopped her from studying French with Shizuma-bitch...

Ugh, that girl. What did she have that Tamao didn't have? Long hair? Who wanted an unmanageable silver puff of hair, anyway? That hairstyle was straight out of the 80s, anyway! Get with the times! ...Even though it did look kind of pretty. Sometimes. In the right light. Yeah, whatever. What else did Shizuma have? Breasts? Who would want big old hooters? That's disgusting. A total freak show. No one's born that size... It's totally not natural. _Bet they're entirely fake. Completely and utterly Fake with a capital F! Either that or... _Tamao sniggered to herself. _Shizuma stuffs her bra! What a riot!_

Ooh, ooh, what else was there? A foxy smile? Pfft. No one smiles like that except for cartoon characters. You're not cool, Shizuma. Stop trying to be so cool, what with your little smirks. You can't flirt, either. Lame. I've heard your lines being used on, like, every new girl. Be more original, you stupid cliche. I bet you if you tried getting a student that was here longer than two seconds, they'd see how dumb your technique is. Yeah, yeah, push a girl up against a tree. You give her no place to go, how is that fair? Duh, she'll be nervous. You're not good at all, slutface. Yeah, I called you a slutface, get over it! Oh, and you know what else? Try getting someone your own age for a change, you cradlerobber!

The truth behind the "beautiful, sexy, amazing" Shizuma was that she was hiding a scared, insecure girl. A total pretender, acting like she was hot stuff when, in truth, all she was was an advantage-taker. Ha! _I wanna see what you'd do if the tables were turned._

Then Nagisa would finally see me... We deserve eachother, why can't you understand that? Why can't anyone see it? We're made for eachother more than anyone else out there, especially more than you and her.

There was a rustling from the otherside of the bedroom. A sleepy groan that would sound ugly from anyone else.

"Tamao, you're still awake?" Nagisa sat up in her bed, rubbing her eyes. The light from Tamao's laptop screen lit up her half of the room. Cursing herself silently, Tamao shut the lid.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up," Tamao put on a gentle smile, finding it hard not to punch herself.

"You sure about that?" Giggle. "You were typing really loud. A bad review, huh?"

"Nah, I was just continuing my story, that's all." Truth was that she was ranting about Shizuma de la Shit, but there was no way that she'd tell Nagisa about that. Nah. Her bad thinking was saved for secret Word documents. If someone got a hold of that stuff, she'd die a thousand deaths. "I'm not sure how to continue it."

"Oh! Ah, I still have to read that." Nagisa stifled a yawn. "Not right now, though... Too tired." To pronounce that, there was another yawn. "What part are you stuck on?"

"Well, there's this girl that likes someone who likes someone else. Um, that someone else doesn't even notice that the girl likes them, since that person's the type that would be oblivious to a brick hitting them over the head. Heh. That's the cute quality about that person, though."

"They sound like an idiot!"

"But, you've got to admit, it's kind of cute... Even though that person likes someone else, the girl still likes them. She tries to get this person to notice by doing little things... Giving the person gifts, baking cookies, helping the person with things, yeah, smiling. Holding them unnecessarily. She's dropped all the right hints to no avail. All they are are friends."

"No, that's so stupid. How can you not even notice someone who likes you, especially when it's your friend?" How ironic...

"Some people aren't good at telling those things, I guess." Tamao sighed. "Why that person doesn't notice doesn't exactly matter, though. Don't worry about it. What I'm really stuck on is helping my character Tomie out. How is she supposed to get Nakie to like her over the other person? It sounds impossible, doesn't it?"

They spent a moment thinking about the question. "Well, nothing's impossible." Tamao could hear the encouraging smile in Nagisa's voice. "I'm sure there's somebody out there for Tomie. Maybe, she needs to look somewhere else for the love that she wants until Nakie can really see her that way. Or, maaaaybe, this Nakie person really is meant for Tomie, but she doesn't realize it yet. All Tomie's got to do is wait." Nagisa clicked her teeth. "That would be a boring story, wouldn't it be? A girl who's waiting for her love to finally take notice of her. Wow, that'd be depressing. I'd hate to go through that, wouldn't you?"

"Yeah..."

"I'd die, seriously." Nagisa said softly. "No... I wouldn't, because I'd always have my friends around to help me out. Maybe that should be the next chapter to your story. Tomie turns to her friends for help. A friend that she hadn't talked to very much that was going through a similar problem. I'm sure there's got to be other people around in the same sort of situation. They could vent to one another."

"Alright, thanks for the suggestion." She didn't want Nagisa to continue. The reddishhead was beginning to read her mind. Crazy. Tamao leaned over her bed, sliding the laptop under it. She never left it out, for fear of someone reading her personal stories. They were all just a little too close to reality for comfort. All wishful thinking, except for the nasty turn of fate in the latest chapter. Bad enough Tomie thought that Nakie liked her back...the whole time, Nakie was falling for somebody else, much like Nagisa. Someone that they weren't meant for. "Good night, Nagisa.

* * *

_**Someone that they weren't meant for.**_

Yaya wasn't into writing. She hated putting her thoughts to paper. Nothing came out the way that it was meant to come out. Her writing was on the level of a fourth grader trying to cram in as many words on a page as possible. At least, that's what her teachers were always saying. Not like she cared much for school, anyway. The one part of school she liked was being in the Saintly Chorus, where she could get her thoughts out in the form of a line of notes. Seamlessly going higher from G to A to B to C. Do re mi fa so la ti do. Singing up and down a scale as easy as pen to paper.

She was purposely avoiding Hikari now, to the point where she didn't attend the Chorus anymore. Not like she needed those brainwashed chumps. Half of them couldn't hold out a steady note, no lie. Years of singing practice? Yeah, right! Most of them were in it just to look like they belonged to some sort of club. The "easiest" club, supposedly, because all you had to do was open your mouth. Well, it definitely wasn't that way to Yaya. She was in it because she loved singing. In the shower, in the grocery line, in the hallway, on the bus. Singing anywhere and everywhere.

Whenever someone told her to "shut up" about her singing, she'd start whistling. And when they told her to stop whistling, she'd hum. And when they shouted for her to stop humming, she'd tap her feet and desk. And when that got too annoying, even for her, she'd start singing under her breath until she got loud enough for the cycle to start all over again. Singing was her thing, the hell with the rest of the school, save for her friends, that is. As long as she had friends and singing, she was more than set.

The nightsky kept her from being noticed by the Sister when she snuck out of the room. It was too awkward to sleep in the same area as Hikari. Most of her nights lately were spent under a tree overlooking that stupid place that kept the horses. A stable? Whatever the hell it was called, with that dumb horse with the retarded name. Moonshine? Starry-heart? Give me something else as lame to name my noble stead. Noble prince my ass, you can't even give your horse a cooler name than Sunshine Bear. _Wow, you suck, Amane. You suck...horse dick. Haha, I bet that's what you do every night, huh?_

As much as Yaya kid herself about being happy that Hikari had someone, she wasn't really that happy. At all. It'd be better if Hikari was with someone who knew how to show their feelings instead of riding a horse. An extra retarded horse.

She got up from her spot under the tree and climbed over the fence. The Starfuckshine horse was kept in the stable, tied up to keep it in place. The stable door came open easily, unlocked to give Amane quick access. Dumbass. _I'm amazed no one thought of this sooner._ Yaya kept her footsteps light and her nose covered. The place smelled of stale horse crap, how disgusting. From far away, the horse looked majestic. Up close, it was, well, ugly. There was nothing else to call it. It snorted and farted in the same breath, its snot-caked nostrils flaring. Its knotty tail swished from side-to-side, crusted with an unimagineable _something_. All around its pen were chunks of barf-worthy things. It smelled horrible, like someone stuck with you in an elevator had let it loose big time.

The horse's mane was dirty. It looked like it was in bad need of a wash, all greasey and grimey. Did Amane not care about anything other than riding the poor beast? Or did she figure that no one would care, seeing how all the freaking girls in the world only saw her? Idiots, stop being so blind for once. _Without her horse, maybe you'll all finally see her for who she really is... _A lame girl with **no **personality.

As she undid the horse's ropes, she sang a fitting song, dedicated to the one and only Amane. "You've got no personality, no personality," Yaya laughed to herself as she sawed through the rope with the kitchen knife she stole out of the cooking club room. "No personality, no personality..." The horse was free within minutes. Its droopy eyes glanced at Yaya questioningly. "What are you waiting for? A parade? You're free! Don't be stupid, be free!" It heard the magic words and was off, storming into the distance before too long.

Part of Yaya felt sorry for the horse. No one deserves being that close to Amane for a bajillion hours every day. Now, Starmoonwhothefuckcaresshine could get its own life in the wilderness. It could become a unicorn princess if it wanted to. Anything's possible when you're free.

She walked away singing the Saintly Chorus theme song. The only freaking song they ever sang. Her favorite song, to tell the truth...the one she'd always practice with Hikari.

* * *

_**  
Especially when it's your friend...**_

The sun broke through the sky like a bird through glass. It smeared its rays, turning parts of the otherwise blue day into an orangey red. Fitting, Hikari mused to herself, that this morning looked so messed up already. Yaya hadn't come back to the dorm until dawn, maybe a little earlier than that. Worrying wasn't a fun job, but it was the part she was stuck with. It wasn't like she was having fun with this awkward I-won't-talk-to-you-so-it-won't-be-weird stage. At all. She'd much rather them go back to the time before Yaya's forceful confession. To pick that day of all days...

Now, whenever Hikari would look back on her first date with Amane, she'd remember _her_. A pair of lips set to bruising. Being shoved up against the door, needlessly rough, and all full of want. There were better ways to go about doing that. She didn't have to go through with all of that stuff. Did she honestly think anyone would like that? _Or, she was just that desperate..._ _For me, of all people._

Hikari could never understand this whole liking someone business. It always felt forced, even at her old school. She could count her crushes on her fingers. First one had been some faceless boy. Kojiro or something and that had been in kindergarten, when they were playing house. Their short-lived "relationship" if you could call it that, ended when he moved. Second finger, that was Amane. It didn't feel right calling that a crush, though. There was a better word for it. Admiration? Infatuation? Something like that. All her crushes were pretty mutual.

Okay, those she could understand. The confusing things were the people who showed interest in her. Hikari was a ghost. Weak smile, fragile gaze. She wasn't the type to look people in the eyes ever. Her gaze was usually set on someone's forehead or mouth instead. There was nothing strong about her. She was a total rescue-me-I'm-useless case. Not that she was proud of that. Who would be? Amongst all of her friends, she was the most normal. So non-threatening. Even Nagisa and Tamao's maid girl had her own brand of weirdness. Tsubomi had a dirty mouth. Those little dress-up girls had their zaniness, too. All the younger kids had that zest, so why didn't she? What was so good about her?

_Maybe I just shouldn't worry about it._ So, the thoughts on that matter ended as she made her way to the outdoorsy lunch area. She would've sat indoors with Yaya, but, you know, it was more fun sitting with Amane. Sort of. At least she could get a word in edgewise.

She took her seat, happy to see that the usual crowd of fangirls weren't anywhere to be found. _That's kind of weird. _

"Hey Amane." Hikari greeted her friend. "Is something wrong?"

Amane shifted uncomfortably in her seat. There was a distance to her eyes, like an angry far-off horizon. "Yes..." The anger melted into a sad glance aimed at her lap.

"Um, do you want to talk about it?"

"I'm sorry for being so..." Amane couldn't find the right word. "...down. I assume you've heard the news, correct?" She nervously ran her hand through her hair, her eyes still down-cast.

"What news?" Hikari searched her mind for any bit of gossip that Amane would care about and came up blank. Amane didn't seem like the type to care about the latest couples or who was fighting who. "Did something bad happen somewhere?" Maybe there'd been an accident somewhere near Amane's home. Whatever the problem was, it was definitely having an effect on the blue-haired girl. Her gentle smile screamed forced to the point where it was a shadow. "Are you okay?"

"No." She messed with her collar, keeping her eyes far and away from Hikari's. "Star Bride's gone. She went missing." Amane didn't want anyone, especially Hikari, to see her cry. "No one knows what happened, other than that it couldn't've been an accident. Her ropes were cut."

"Oh, no." The blonde didn't know what else to say. "I hope she'll be okay."

"Me, too... I don't know what I'll do without her."

From the door way leading to the inside of the cafeteria, a girl could be heard laughing. Another girl, this one obviously from a different school, took her by the hand and walked away with her to some place private. It was time for round two. Playing the game for a crowd

* * *

_**  
I don't know what I'll do without her.  
**_**  
**

* * *

**  
A\N: **This one's dedicated to everyone who's read this so far, especially those who have reviewed so far. Thanks for the motivation. More Yaya/Tamao-ness to come. ) 


	3. Instigations and Investigations

_**Blindfold**_  
**By: **Aijou  
**Disclaimer/Extra Info:** I won't ever own this series. Good or bad? You decide. Story set sometime after episode fourteen.

* * *

_**What's so good about being me?**_

Part of Yaya felt bad, like she had gone way too far in getting even.

Numerous hours before, she had set Amane's famous horse free, removing her senior's shimmering steed from the picture entirely. Sawed free from its ropes, the horse galloped off into the night, hopefully never to be found. For all Yaya knew and for all she managed to care, that beast was half way across the continent by now. How great can a prince be without her horse? How many damsels could she swoon walking on foot, rather than striding in on a beautiful ride? Without Starbrideshine or whatever the hell its poor, pathetic hippy bullshit name was, Amane was reduced to a crumpled up little piece of nothing.

Actually...now that Yaya thought harder about it, liberating that animal was the best course of action. It brought Amane, a girl whom was the best at everything she tried and the best at whom she was and the most popular for no good reason, crashing down to her level. The playing field was finally leveled, leaving Hikari to see who she deserves more - a girl whose heart beat alongside the galloping of a burden beast or, even better, a girl whose heart beat to the rhythm of a certain blonde's angel song? There's no comparison there.

"So, uh, Yaya..."

"Yeah?"

"What're we supposed to be doing?"

"Round two, _lover_. We have to celebrate our relationship, am I right? We have to show the whole world we're in love." Yaya's words sounded as sincere as the smile playing on her face. "Don't forget that you already agreed to this plan."

Tamao couldn't pull her hand out of Yaya's tight grasp. "I know, but, still...what if it doesn't work? Or, or if Nagisa-chan and Hikari-chan don't notice? What happens, then?"

"Don't worry, they'll notice." Yaya's eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Trust me, they will once word gets out. You should know as much as I do how fast gossip spreads."

They made their way into "The Secret Garden," otherwise known as the Astraea library, the one infamous for its not-so-secret secrecy. Behind rows of bookcases hid couples, friends, and sloppy mess-arounds. The place had a sort of sleazy, cheap date-after-the-date kind of appeal with the added bonus of voyeuristic potential. Taking books off of shelves usually let you in on an unsuspected peepshow. Honestly, Yaya never liked the place very much. The whole thing had a disgusting level of quality she could never really get over, although it had been fun to tease Hikari there sometimes. Other than that...it was gross. Tamao's thoughts were much the same.

So, why this place, then? Well, for one, it was a common make-out zone and, for two, indecency around the three schools was somewhat scandalous. What a shock it would be to find out that good girl Tamao, of all people, was kissing Yaya in the library, of all the places you could pick to get intimate in. The whole thing had the right level of tackiness that felt misplaced in both students.

Yaya dragged Tamao into the W-Z autobiography section, breathing in the harsh, dusty and slightly vulgar air. She let go of her hand and before Tamao could say anything, pushed her up against the bookcase. Aged records threatened to fall all around them, but Yaya didn't care. This time was all about getting rid of the clumsy atmosphere forcing her movements to slow down. What was so easy before...to kiss her with closed eyes seemed so amazingly hard now.

Her chest expanding with worried zephyr, Tamao spoke, "This is getting kind of weird again... Maybe we should stop before things get too weird. I mean, we still have a chance and stuff and, yeah."

"Do you want to get Nagisa or what?" Yaya hissed. "If you don't want her, then fine. Keep writing stupid stories about her, keep writing your love poems, whatever. I don't care about that, but what I do care about is getting Hikari-chan and this is the best way to do it. Nagisa's so fucking oblivious, you have to do something like this to beat your feelings into her head. She'll be missing you in no time and be practically crawling in forgiveness. Listen and trust me on this. This'll be the last time I'm gonna try to convince you of this, so shut up."

"Okay, okay, okay." Tamao sighed and pulled Yaya close. _If this means Nagisa-chan...then it's all okay, okay, okay._

* * *

_**Make-believers...**_

"And thats why you guys would be perfect for the job," Tsubomi was lying through her teeth. "You're the best detectives we have in all of Astraea Hill."

The last thing she wanted to spend her time doing was talking to a bunch of immature losers playing dress up. Drastic times call for drastic measures, unfortunately, and this was one of those times. Tsubomi made careful sure that no one had seen her walk into the Transformation Club, home of freaks and that Chikaru chick. What did that girl see in hanging out with girls so young? Tsubomi being around their age was hugely irrelevant - at least she didn't pretend like she was a knock-off version of Sherlock Holmes or a pack of nurses or worse, she wasn't some bear-holding creepazoid. Retarded!

Tsubomi was only degrading herself this way to get information. Those little kids were crafty, she had to admit. They knew how to find out stupid stuff no one cared about, like whether or not the Etoile ate sushi whole or preferred eating it in two bites. Who cares, as long as she eats it!

"Wow, you really think so, Tsubomi-chan?" Kizuna clapped her hands together, a huge dopey grin on her face. "I always thought you thought we were losers!"

_You thought right, you loon._ "No, no, of course not."

"But you usually call us weird," Remon spoke the truth. "Why the sudden change?"

"Hey, we've been friends for a while now. Weird is a good thing. All the best people are weird." This was getting difficult. "I don't mind hanging out with you two at all. Um, three. Kagome-chan's good, too, and Ohshibaru-san. Yeah."

Kizuna cheered. "Okay! We'll do it. I can't wait to get started on our mission, can you, Kagome-chan?"

Kagome didn't say a word, but held up her teddy bear, instead.

_Frikkin' weirdo!! _"Yep. All you have to do is find out what's going on with Yaya-sempai and Tamao-sempai. Figure out why they both just coincidentally skipped class at the same time and why they're all of a sudden so secretive." Tsubomi nodded. "Got that?" She wished that Chikaru-sempai was there to make her feel less like bashing her head against a wall.

"What's in it for us?" The orange-haired female smiled mischievously. Tsubomi didn't like the look on her face.

"Yeah," Remon adjusted her glasses, the lenses glinting in the light. "For doing something so tough, we should get something in return."

"Um, how about my everlasting friendship?"

Kagome piped up. "Ohshibaru says Tsubomi-chan joins the Transformation Club."

Tsubomi's mouth fell open. "No."

"Either that, or you have to do something else..." Remon's smile matched Kizuna's. "It's one or the other, unless you don't want us to help you out."

"L-like what?"

"You'll see." Kizuna giggled.

Tsubomi really didn't like where this was going...

* * *

_**Me, oblivious?**_

Sometimes, it took more than a steamboat falling on her head to get a point through to her. It wasn't Aoi Nagisa's fault she was so blissfully unaware of things. It was just the way she was born, or at least that's what Shizuma says to make her not feel so stupid. Take Nagisa's head-in-the-clouds personality away and all you're going to have is...well...basically, nothing. Not like it was a bad thing by any means. The trait was sort of endearing, if not somewhat annoying.

Miss Clueless had just finished her lunch, oddly enough alone. Shizuma had had some sort of Etoile meeting to attend and Tamao was inconspicuously absent from the cafeteria. It was kind of weird, she wasn't going to lie. It had been the first time since she had started to attend school here that she had sat by herself. What was common in her old school was now a lethal rarity, one that she wasn't interested in ever again.

Yeah, sure she could have sat with Hikari or Chiyo, but then she would've become something worse than a third wheel. Among them, she became a worthless fifth wheel, boring and constantly going, "what?" One crowd too young and one pair too close. Nowhere to fit in. Nagisa didn't have enough topics to talk about with either group. French, tea parties, cute key chains, uh... If she were a main character in a show all about her life, her series would be canceled. Fast.

"Nagisa-chan, what are you doing by yourself?" Nagisa looked up from her spot on the bench, peering directly into a gentle blue gaze. "Sorry, that sounded a little rude."

"Hey, Hikari-chan. Yeah...I was kind of wondering that myself and, no offense taken." She giggled nervously, even though she saw nothing to laugh at. "Ah, do you know where everyone went? It's like no one's having lunch anymore."

"Amane-san left to look for Starbride. I don't know about anyone else."

"Maybe they're throwing me a surprise party."

"For what?"

"I don't know. A late welcoming party?" Nagisa hated how she thought out loud. "Um, never mind. They might all be busy. Ooh, remember how Tamao-chan and Yaya-chan went out shopping yesterday? They're probably planning something special."

Hikari shook her head. "No. I don't think so. Whenever Yaya-chan lies, her face gets red and she gets all smirk-ish. She's not a very good liar."

"Whoah! I never noticed that before. You're right." The redhead replayed moments when Yaya lied in her head. "So...what else could be going on? It can't be anything bad."

"No, probably not."

"It's weird how they're close all of a sudden." She crossed her arms in thought. "Now that I think about it, they've been talking a lot together for a while, right?"

"I wouldn't know..."

The blonde's comment paralleled Nagisa's own thoughts. "Me neither..." Spending so much time with Shizuma had shortened her Tamao time. "I can't believe I missed that."

Neither one of them had more to say. They spent the rest of their conversations with their eyes on the floor, while elsewhere, their best friends were lying on smooth carpet.

* * *

**_Would you be...?  
Would you...?_**

* * *

**A/N:** I wish I could add more to this chapter, but I can't. It's been a while since I updated this story and, well, looking at those first two chapters I can see that they definitely need some work. :P Oh, well, it's alright. Expect more Yaya/Tamao and a tidal wave of drama-stuff later. :D

Chapter started - May 24th, 2008.  
Chapter finished - May 25th, 2008.


End file.
